Car-coupling



S.-J .`MEEKER.

CAR GOUPLING.

No. 545,604. Patented Sept. 3, 1895.

igl g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEPHEN J. MEEKER, OF NEWARK, NEW'JERSEY:

CAR-OUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION- forrnng part of Letters Patent No. 545,(304, dated September 3, 1895.

Application fil July 1, 1893. Serial No. 4:79,334=. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1-, STEPHEN J. MEEKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful with the drawings herewith accompanying, is.

a specification.

My invention relates to car-couplers of the vertical-plane type. Heretofore in this class of couplers, when employed for connection or coupling with the ordinary link and-pin style of draw-bar, the part most liable to breakage has been found to be the guardearm, by reason of the opposing draw-head having a tendency to glance off from the end of the closed knuckle after being brought into contact with the latter with any considerable degree of force and strike upon the end of the guardarm With sufficient force to break the same from the head, usually through the line indicated at x w in Fig. 2, and in some cases the head itself is broken from the shank at its line of union therewith; and it is the object of my present invention to obviate the liability of such breakage, which object I secure by means of the Construction and arrangement of parts, as will hereinafter be set forth in detail,

and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the coupler with the knuckle removed, showing the guard-arm. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section of the same through the center, showing the knuckle connected therewith; and Figy3, a vertical section of the draw-bar through line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

To explain in detail, a represents the drawbar; b,-the head; c, the knuckle-supporting arm; c', the knuckle, and d the'guard-arm. The latter in the present instance shown and according to my invention is provided with a shoulder d' on its rear side adjacent to its line of union with the shank a, extending at substantially right angles to the latter, This shoulder is adapted to engage with an abutting surface on the car when the coupler is moved inwardly by the contactof an engaging coupler, and thus receivethe force of the blow upon the arm and relieve the strain thereon. The arrangement of this shoulder in combination with a series of ribs e, located or formed upon the outer surfaceof the arm, which extend from the forward end 'of the same to the outer edge of said shoulder, as shown, also serves to decrease the angle of the guard-arm in its relation to the draw-bar and cause, the force of the blow to be received in a more direct line, and thus serve as an additional element to lessen the liability of breakage, as Will be obvious..

Another feature of my inventionalso consists in extending the shoulder d' above the line of the shank a to a point about even with the forward end of the arm and in line with the butter-surface a' of the draw-head and providing a connectin g-rib between said points in order that such portion of the shoulder may act upon the same surface as said buffer, and thus support the guard-arm its entire depth. This Construction is especially desirable for the reason that the forward ends of all couplers, as is well known, have a tendency to bang slightly belowa horizontal line, and thus cause the upper end of the' guardarm to hang or extend forward of its lower end, and consequently receive the directforce of the blow of the engaging coupler or other body. y i y As a further and important means for supporting theguard-arm in addition to the means already described I have provided a series of ribs e' on the inner shell of the coupler, which extend to a point at either side of the line of union between the guardarm and the shank of draw-bar, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and act, in combination with the shoulder andribs upon the opposite side of the guard-arm, as a double support to the latter, the advantage and importance of which are obvious. I have also 'provided a series of ribs e on the other several inner walls of the draw-bar, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which extend toa point at either side of the line of union between the .head and shank andare adapted to prevent 'breakage between the latter at their point or ?line of union.

,Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isi,

1. In a car-coupler, the head of draw-bar provided with the guard-arm d and one or more ribs located on its inner shell extend ICO ing to a point at either side of the line of union between the arm and the shani; of drawbar, substantially as described and for the purpose set fo'th.

2. In a car-coupler, the head of draw-ber provided with the guard-arm d having a, shoulder on its reat' side, a series of ribs extending from said shoulder to the forward end of the arm, and one or more ribs located on the inner shell of the draw-bar, extending to a pointat either side of the line of union between the head and shank of draw-bar, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupler, the draw-bar provided with a series of ribs located on its several inner walls extending to a point at either side of the line of union between its head and shank, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

STEPI-IEN J. MEEKER.

XVitnesses:

JOHN DANE, Jr., A. L. HAYES. 

